Content tagged with "ekvilib"

World Cleanup Day 2018

20.03.2018.

On September 15 2018, World Cleanup Day, people in 150 countries will stand up against the global trash problem and clean up waste, making it the biggest positive civic action the world has seen. The initiator of World Cleanup Day is the Let’s Do It Foundation, a global civic movement with a mission to connect and empower people and organisations around the world for a clean planet. Already 17 million people have joined...

Maribor, European Capital of Social Economy 2018

09.03.2018.

Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city, is European Capital of Social Economy 2018. At the Social Summit of the Member States of the European Union, held on 17 November 2017 in Goetheburg, Sweden, entitled “For Equitable Jobs and Growth”, Slovenia received a one-year term of office for the Chairmanship of the Supervisory Board of the Luxembourg Declaration adopted in December 2015 – European Capital of Social Economy for 2018.

Food waste: France is the most sustainable country

06.02.2018.

In France, supermarkets are banned from throwing away unsold food and restaurants must provide doggy bags when asked. This has helped France become the best country in terms of food sustainability. Japan, Germany, Spain and Sweden rounded out the top five in an index published the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which graded 34 nations based on food waste, environment-friendly agriculture and quality nutrition.

Tinder for food: An App for sharing leftovers

26.12.2017.

OLIO is a mobile phone app founded in Britain and part of a wave of businesses using technology to cut waste and help the environment. Users download the app on their phones, create an account and upload a picture and a short description of the food they want to give away, from bananas to fresh herbs to lactose-free baby powder. They can contact each other via private messages to arrange for pick-ups, either at home or in a public place for the more privacy-conscious.

How are Member States implementing the EU Directive on Non-financial Information

21.12.2017.

This November, GRI, CSR Europe and Accountancy Europe have prepared a comprehensive overview of how Member States are implementing the EU Directive on Non-financial and Diversity Information. The document analyses and checks information on the local transpositions of the EU Directive 2014/95. The publication is a conclusive milestone in the follow up on the EU Directive transposition across Member States...

Tax transparency and paying taxes as a part of responsible business behaviour

21.11.2017.

In the beginning of November, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed links between tax havens and more than 120 politicians and world leaders, over 100 multinational corporations and a large group of wealthy individuals. The disclosure, called the Paradise Documents, includes 13.4 million documents originating mainly from company Appleby, operating in a tax haven and from business registers of many tax havens.

Slovenia to introduce Diversity Charter in November

28.09.2017.

Diversity charters are voluntary diversity initiatives aimed at encouraging companies to implement and develop diversity policies. A diversity charter consists of a short document voluntarily signed by a company or a public institution. It outlines the measures it will undertake to promote diversity and equal opportunities in the workplace, regardless of race or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability and religion.

CSR Certificate scheme developed in Slovenia

23.08.2017.

In 2016, Ekvilib Institute launched a new product – Socially responsible Company Certificate (CSR certificate). Certificate was developed as part of a pilot project involving six Slovenian companies. The project lasted from September 2015 to September 2016, when the analyses were completed, and officially ended in October with the awarding of certificates.

Our addiction to plastic is creating an environmental crisis

28.07.2017.

A recent study in the journal Science Advances revealed that since the 1950’s, we have produced about 8300 million metric tons of plastic. Half of that was produced in the last 13 years alone. A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number will jump another 20% by 2021. The largest market for plastics is packaging, an application whose growth is only accelerating due to a global shift from reusable to single-use containers, the study points out. Some campaigners predict this is creating an environmental crisis that will be as serious as climate change.

Taxes: a CSR issue often neglected

30.06.2017.

Paying taxes is never a popular topic. However, with some companies avoiding their fair share of taxes, the money needed to finance health systems, education and other crucial social subsystems, is not available. Taxes should therefore be seen as an issue of good corporate governance and responsible business practice.

During the 2nd learning activity in the scope of Erasmus+ project Hi4CSR, which took place in Berlin, project partners were presented with a Berlin-based initiative Homeless Veggie Dinner. Dario Adamic, project’s initiator, shared with the Hi4CSR consortium the story behind the project, which ultimately aims to address two very different issues - tackling food waste and social exclusion of homeless people in Berlin.

Millennial generation drives up demand for CSR and positive impact

28.04.2017.

A study from the Stanford Graduate School of Business revealed that 90% of MBAs from business schools in Europe and North America prefer working for organizations committed to social responsibility. Ethics and integrity, it seems, win out over financial reward. Millennials support companies that do good, making social entrepreneurship a smart business model to follow.

European Parliament adopts binding law on conflict minerals

CSR meets HR: Work life balance

02.03.2017.

»Nowadays, people are striving to create a balance between family and work responsibilities. Broad research suggests that people who are aware of the work-life balance are more satisfied with their lives and report better physical and mental health« (Haar et al., 2014: 362).

First Hi4CSR Transnational project meeting in Ljubljana, finally!

26.10.2016.

The first Transnational project meeting within Hi4CSR took place at the Ekvilib Inštitut headquarters. By having a kick-off meeting in Slovenia, Hi4CSR consortium officially began an eighteen months long Erasmus+ strategic partnership.

EU Non-financial Directive: What is it going to be like in Italy?

Time flies when it comes to upcoming regulation. The 15th of April 2014 appears so distant in the past. On that Tuesday, The European Parliament adopted the now famous Directive on the disclosure of non-financial information by large companies in the EU.

Now, we are less than a month away from the hard deadline for the transposition of the Directive in national laws (6th December 2016). As other EU member countries, Italy is in the final stages of drafting the transposition law for the Directive.

CSR and employment of persons with disabilities

Existing data shows that one in six EU citizens between 16 and 64 years has a long-standing health problem or disability, as well as the fact that one third of these people will not have any restrictions on the ability to work. Persons with disabilities constitute a significant part of the population; therefore their social and economic integration is essential for the creation of an inclusive society and for economic success. But data shows that people with disabilities face significant barriers.

Slovenia adds water to constitution as fundamental right for all

In November, Slovenian parliament adopted an amendment to constitution, making the right to drinking water a fundamental right. Slovenia is the first European Union country to include the right to water in its constitution; although according to Rampedre (the online Permanent World Report on the Right to Water) 15 other countries across the world had already done so.